Get Your Shovels Ready For A Snowy Winter In 2018

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Thursday November 30th 2017

Photo via http://ow.ly/zepC30gVMvP

Are you going to get a lot of snow and extremely cold temperatures
this winter? The answer to that question depends on where you live. As
always, the Old Farmer's Almanac has a lot to say on the matter.
What sort of weather are you likely to see outside your window while
we're waiting for the spring growing season to arrive? Let's find out if
you'll need your snow shovel, snow blower, salt, or all of the above
for winter 2018.

Winter Weather Around the Country

Check out the winter weather forecast for 2017-18 in theOld Farmer's Almanac
and you'll see cold and snowy weather in the northwestern states,
including Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. This cold, snowy forecast extends
downward to Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and a section of Kansas. The cold
temperatures and snowfall in these states will be about the same as in
past years. Eastern and southeastern states in our country will
experience a mild, wet winter this year. In the Northeast, where I live,
the precipitation levels will be high, leading to more snowfall. In
addition, people living in the Northeast will get especially cold
temperatures in January. The Great Lakes and central plains will also
get above-normal snowfall. The western states are due for a mild, dry
winter this year.

Temperatures Then and Now

Did you know that nearly every state in our country has experienced
below-zero temperatures at some point? Hawaii is the only state that's
not on that page in the record books, though Hawaii did have an all-time
low of 12 degrees at Mauna Kea Observatory in 1979. On Feb. 13, 1899,
the temperature dropped to two degrees below zero in Tallahassee,
Florida, but do you know which state has had the coldest temperature
ever recorded? You guessed it: Alaska! Anyone venturing into Prospect
Creek, Alaska, endured a temperature of 80 degrees below zero in January
1971. Even the polar bears wanted to come inside to get warm that
winter! In the contiguous United States, the lowest recorded temperature
was at Rogers Pass in Montana. The mercury fell to 70 below zero there
in January 1954. More recently, in February 2011, the temperature fell
to 31 degrees below zero in Nowata, Oklahoma.

Rates of Snowfall

The record for the most snowfall in a month belongs to the city of
Tamarack in California. This city had 32.5 feet of snow back in January
1911. The heaviest snowfall in 24 hours happened in April 1921: Silver
Lake, Colorado, received a little more than six feet of snow in that
time period. The city of Milton, Florida, received four inches of snow
in March 1954, which was the state's heaviest snowfall in a 24-hour
period. I wonder if anyone living in Milton tried to build a snowman?

Tips on How to Shovel Snow Safely

If you're likely to get a lot of snow this year where you live, these
suggestions can help you stay safe as you keep your driveway and
walkways clear for family and friends: